Iron Bonds
by LadyPlague
Summary: When the four slayers of Fairytail sense something heading towards Magnolia, they rush towards the forest on the outskirts of town, only to find something they had never expected to find. The lost child of Fairytail, Eclipse Dreyar. I do not, let me repeat, do not own Fairy Tail. GajeelXOC
1. The Beginning

I can feel my heart thundering in my chest, my lungs constricting with the need for more oxygen as my leg muscles strain and burn from exertion. I can hear my blood pumping in my ears as my boot covered feet slap against the earth. I'll make it. I must make it. Keeping my pace up as I run through my wooded surroundings, I keep my senses open, listening for anyone following me as I jump over fallen logs and maneuver around bushes and trees. I'll make it. I need to make it.

I can see a slight gap in the trees. Around 50 yards ahead of me. I just need to break through the tree line and I'll be home free. They won't dare follow me there. Ignoring the burn in my lungs and the ache in my legs, I push myself faster, harder. As I break through the tree line several terrifying howls and shrieks sound through the air.

 **No one's pov**

In a building three miles away from the forest, a pink haired man stops mid swing, his fist inches from the face of a half-naked man as his head snaps towards the front doors.

A small girl huddled behind the buildings bar laugh is stopped short as her face falls and her head snaps in the same direction, long blue hair whipping a white cat in the face' startling her.

A rough looking man's hand pauses as he lifts a chunk of metal towards his mouth, red eyes narrowing as they quickly dart towards the door.

The normally stoic blonde man who always wears sound pods and pretends not to notice anything quickly rips the pods of his head and stands, causing his team to look at him quizzically as his blue eyes look in the same direction of the other three.

Within moments all four individual's eyes meet, before they secretly nod at each other. Before any of their guild mates even catch what's happening all four rush out of Fairytail, running together towards the noise.

The small female is quickly picked up by the rough iron dragon slayer and placed on his back, her short legs not able to keep up with the pace of the other three.

The pink haired man growls lowly, "What the hell was that, Laxus?"

The three other slayers glance towards the older blonde lightning dragon slayer, noticing his jaw tick. "I don't know, but something smells familiar."

"Coffee…coffee and cherries." The fire dragon slayer Natsu speaks. Nodding at Laxus, letting him know that he smells the familiarity too.

Gajeel and Wendy the other two slayers take a deep breath, smelling what the other two do, neither recognize the smell. Wendy lets out a whimper as another scent enters her nose. The smell of decay.

Gajeel gives the girls leg a comforting squeeze letting her know that it's okay, that the older slayers smell it as well. The three dragon slayers pick up their pace, little Wendy gripping on to Gajeel, worried about what they may find.

Laxus' eyes widen as he takes in another deep breath, trying to remember the smell. "Natsu, it's her." He barely voices, the pink haired slayers steps falter slightly before determination hardens his features.

"Then we need to bring her home." Laxus nods in agreement.

As the slayers up their pace again and get closer and closer to the smell of coffee and cherries get stronger, and the scent of decay is slowly getting farther away, whatever is causing that smell is making its way deeper into the forest.

"Laxus," Natsu hisses out. "Go. We'll be right behind you."

Laxus looks at his fellow slayers, and they nod at him. With a roar a heavy pressure surrounds the four and lightning sparks around Laxus, it sends tingles throughout his nervous system as it completely envelopes his body until he is one with the lightning and before one could blink, Laxus is standing at the edge of the forest his lightning fading away, his eyes trained on the petite frame of a woman, sitting on the grass, hysterical laughter leaving her plump pink lips as her fingers grip her short blonde and purple hair. As if sensing Laxus there her bright blue eyes snap up, directly looking at him. Laxus is face to face with the missing child of Fairytail, Eclipse Dreyar.

 **Eclipse p.o.v**

As soon as I break through the trees surrounding Magnolia, my fatigue hits me, it wrecks through my body as I fall to my knees, taking deep shuddering breathes, trying to suck up as much oxygen as I can. I look at my hands, they're trembling. The realization that I made it hits me hard and I can't escape the sob that bursts from my throat. I'm here. I'm finally here.

"Welcome home…" I whisper to myself.

The realization of where I am sends me reeling. Small bursts of laughter start to burst past my lips, and before I know it I'm crying and laughing and I can't stop myself. I can feel myself lose control of my emotions as my body rocks back and forth, my shoulders heave from my sobs and my lips stretch with laughter.

My hands dig into my hair pulling at it, as doubt and fear courses through me. What if they don't want me home. What if he forgot me? My eyes glance downwards, catching sight of my dark red guild mark, my black leather vest letting it show on my sternum right above my cleavage. My laughing sobs come harsher as the silver scaring breaks up the color of my Fairytail mark. It never went away, and I've protected it with my all. The thought of them taking it from me causes my hands to pull harder at my hair.

Then I feel it. A heavy weight in the atmosphere surrounding me. My hysterics stop, I drop my hands to my side, my fingers gripping the hem of my black shorts. I quickly look up, and there he is.

Tears fall down my face in a steady stream, sliding along my dry cracked lips, dripping off my chin as I sob. My eyes stare into his identical ones. I watch as his shoulders slump and his eyes start to fill with moisture.

I can't stop myself, quickly standing I launch myself at the man, my arms wrapping around his neck, my legs around his torso, "Laxus-nii!" I sob out as his arms wrap around me holding me tightly. I feel wetness against my neck. He's crying…oh Mavis he's crying! That knowledge just makes me sob harder.

 **Laxus 3rd person p.o.v**

As Eclipse clings to Laxus, the dragon slayer can't help but let his emotions break through. It's been 8 years since she went missing. Eight years since he saw his younger sister, since he hugged her, trained her, laughed with her, made her smile. Its been eight years since he failed her.

"I'm sorry, Eclipse. I'm so sorry I failed you." As Laxus says that he sinks to his knees still holding Eclipse tight to his chest. He feels her body stiffen and she pulls back from him slightly.

"You didn't know…" she whispers, "You didn't know. If you would have…I know you would have protected me."

Laxus lets out a whimper as the dragon part of him laments at the fact that he didn't protect his kin. Her words not able to soothe that side of him. His entire being is filled with distress, anger and sadness at his incompetence. She's his sister. He never should have left her out of his sight.

"I'm okay, Laxus." Her voice brings him out of the spiral his thoughts were going.

Before he can respond Laxus can hear the three others coming. He takes a deep breath and lets his stoic mask slip back into place. He goes to speak again, but stops and takes another deep breath. There. He smells it. Blood. His eyes widen in shock and he pulls back from Eclipse.

"Wendy!" His booming voice shouts so loud that Eclipse flinches.

He looks at Eclipse panic seeping out of his every pore. She looks at him her eyes drooping, a serene smile crossing over her face, "Laxus – I don't feel so…" Her eyes close and she slumps forward.

 **No one's p.o.v**

The town of Magnolia is silenced as a booming roar, filled with gut-wrenching sadness echoes throughout the town. Followed seconds later by three responding roars. Something happened. Something horrible and every citizen of Magnolia turns their eyes towards their resident mage guild, staring wide eye as the master bursts through the door, his face stricken with fear. As he runs through Magnolia his form starts enlarging, for he knows that first roar, he had heard once before and had hoped he would never hear it again.

As Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy get closer to the edge of the forest something changes, something awful hangs in the air, causing a tightness to form in the chests of Natsu and Gajeel.

Wendy, the young sky dragon slayer, whose magic is meant to save people; heal them, lets out a pained whimper as the airs scent assaults her nose. Death. Death is coming and her magic allows her to sense it ahead of time.

As Laxus and Eclipse come into sight for the three, something changes for them, something big. Natsu's dragon side lets out a protective growl as he sees the form of his old friend. Something in him snaps into place, forming a bond that can never be broken. He had felt this feeling slightly before, it had been a small tug within him when they were young, when he didn't understand what it meant. Now, now he gets it, his dragon had marked her as kin.

The youngest dragon slayer, Wendy, who lost her dragon too soon, let a sob escape heras her bond formed with the woman, a bond that she had felt with her dragon mother Grandine, a bond that had been mangled when her dragon mother disappeared, but when her eyes looked upon the female in Laxus' arms she could feel that old bond heal and a new one form with the woman whose name she doesn't even know.

Gajeel feels something break down his black steel barriers and snap into place as quickly as it can, so fast that Gajeel's hardass self couldn't internally protest the bonds formation, not that his dragon would let him. Not when his dragon found the other half of him, in the small woman who smells like coffee and cherries.

"Wendy!" Laxus screams, startling the three, and breaking them out of their shock.

They watch in horror as the woman Slumps forward, causing a vicious roar to leave Laxus' throat. As dread fills the three other slayers, their hearts feeling heavy with the trepidation, they let out three responding roars, before Wendy quickly rushes to the fallen girl.

 **Wendy P.O.V 3** **rd** **person**

Even though Wendy is internally terrified, she put on her game face. Her eyes harden and her lips purse into a thin line, she needs to focus. Her legs carry her quickly towards Laxus and the woman.

Her arms wrap around the girls' shoulders and she attempts to pull her away from Laxus. He snarls at her, causing both Wendy and Gajeel to growl back at him, Wendy because she knows the best course of action is for her to take control and Gajeel, because Gajeel's dragon claimed her as his young. Despite the situation, Wendy can't help the swell of love that fills her at Gajeel's protectiveness.

"Laxus!" Wendy snarls, startling the older dragon, "Let me help her!"

Laxus looks into Wendy's eyes and she can see how terrified he is his eyes are screaming in terror, and she hates it, she hates seeing the strong slayer like this, but right now, she needs to do her job, she needs to save the woman.

Laxus snarls, but lays the woman out on the ground anyways, for Wendy. She nods, determination filling her young face as she places her hands, over the woman's chest. She can feel a tingle in her fingertips as a glow emanates from her hands, she can feel her bond quake with sadness as she notices that the woman has no heartbeat.

Tears fill up in Wendy's eyes, but she won't give up, not yet. Taking a deep breath, she takes her hands and places them over the woman's abdomen, where deep pools of blood are seeping out of her body. Her hands light up as she starts to heal the wound.

"Laxus," The man in question quickly takes his eyes off the wounded girl and looks back at Wendy. "We need to restart her heart, I need you and Gajeel's help to do that." The two slayers in question nod their heads.

Wendy removes her hands from the now healed stomach and places them a bit higher than normal over her chest.

"What do you need us to do?" Laxus asks, his voice rough with grief.

"Gajeel, I need you to form square plates with your iron, keep them attached to your hands, and place them on her chest. Laxus, I need you to push your lightening through Gajeel's iron, while he controls how much flows through the metal into the woman's heart. I'll heal her heart as it restarts. Gajeel, make sure you don't let too much through or it will not work, and will fry her inner workings."

Wendy notices hesitation flash across Gajeel's face, before his eyes harden and resolves flashes over his features, Wendy watches as his hands quickly form into flat metal plates and he places them against the girls' chest, where Wendy had motioned for him to place them. She knew he could do it, she knew that he wouldn't fail this woman, she could feel all the bonds that have formed, and this woman, is now surrounded by dragons who will not fail her.

With new found determination, she nods at Laxus, "You need to send your lightening into the plates." She looks at Gajeel. "This will hurt you, but you need to hold back a majority of the sparks and let the rest zap her chest."

Wendy feels the atmosphere grow tense, her senses can pinpoint, Natsu nervously crouching on the balls of his feet, anxiousness drifting off him. Gajeel and Laxus have as much resolution as they did fear, overflow from their beings. They would save her.

"Now!" Wendy yells.

Without hesitation, the air sizzles and cracks around her, and she can smell the electricity as Laxus shoots his lightening into Gajeel. The iron slayer growls as he holds back most of the power from Laxus' bolts and he lets a spark emit from the metal plates, the woman's body jolts slightly. Her heart stays lifeless.

"Come on Eclipse…don't leave yet." Natsu's whisper reaches Wendy's ears.

"Again! Let more through Gajeel!" Wendy shouts once more.

Again, Laxus lets his magic seep into Gajeel, and again the slayer growls and lets, just a bit more of a spark escape his iron plates; there's the faintest thump from Eclipse's chest, before it's gone again.

"Again!" Wendy yells, tears streaming down her face.

With two full-mouthed roars from the lightning and iron slayers, electric bolts flash and get sucked into Gajeel's metal. Wendy watches in wonder as Gajeel's sweat soaked face barely flinches as he holds back and releases Laxus' power simultaneously.

The four slayers let out a sigh of relief as a steady thumping meets their ears. Wendy smiles as she eagerly lets her hands glow brightly and she heals all the damage that she possibly can. Blinking rapidly, she tries to get her tears to subside, as she flashes everyone a smile. They did it. They really did it.

 **Laxus 3** **rd** **person P.O.V**

Laxus looks down at his sister, tears falling from his eyes from all the anxiety he felt. His eyes wander from the gentle rising and falling of his little sisters chest, the three dragon's surrounding him. No longer filled with fear for Eclipse's life, he could feel the three newly formed bonds of the other slayers, he could sense the extent of each one. A groan escapes his lips as his eyes land on Gajeel.

The Iron slayer who took his lightening and held it in himself to revive her. He really couldn't say anything bad about the bond formed between Gajeel and Eclipse, especially after Gajeel did that. Well, Laxus thinks, at least I know he won't ever hurt her. Better him than any of the other slayers. Laxus smirks slightly, she'd probably eat anyone else alive.

Gajeel's red eyes meet Laxus' gaze for a brief moment. The lightning mage nods his head at him, in acknowledgement. With all the adrenaline fading from their systems, they can probably smell the blood relation between Laxus and Eclipse, Gajeel gives Laxus barely noticeable nod before looking back at Eclipse.

Slight sniffling enters Laxus' ears and he turns his gaze onto Wendy. The child who took charge and became the reason that he didn't lose his sister the day that he got her back. He reaches out an arm, and places his hand on her shoulder giving it a gentle squeeze before using his thumb and wiping away her tears.

"Thank you, Wendy. Thank you so much." Laxus whispers with immense gratitude showing through his usual uncaring voice.

She looks at the older mage and her tears fall faster and harder. "She…she…" Wendy can't finish her sentence. Laxus chuckles slightly and pulls the young girl into his side.

"I know, Wendy. She feels like your Dragon mom did."

With those words the sky maiden completely breaks down, and clings to the normally hardass slayer, but he doesn't mind. He just holds the girl close to his chest as she sobs, whispering to her that it'll be okay.


	2. Chapter 2

_**An: Hey guys! I hope you're enjoying the story so far. I am doing something very different with this story when it comes to P.O.V changes, mainly because as the story progresses there are things I'm going to want to show that I can't do unless it's in a specific P.O.V so I figured I'd have you get used to it now, rather than me just throwing it at you 15 chapters in. Let me know how you feel about the P.O.V changes though because they will shift and change differently with each chapter. It's pretty much going to be whatever P.O.V suits my needs for certain things. I do hope you enjoy though, and eventually understand why I'm writing it this way. Anyway, onto the story!**_

 _ **Oh one more thing! Ages. Ages are going to be a little different. I have a teenage niece and I can not, can NOT, write a story about romance and stuff like that involving characters just a few years older than my niece. It weirds me out. Plus for certain people to get with other people I don't feel comfortable with those people being 17.**_

 _ **So, this is before the Tenrou arc:**_

 _ **Laxus, Bickslow, Mira, Gajeel – 25**_

 _ **Evergreen, Elfman, Freed, Erza – 24**_

 _ **Eclipse, Gray, Juvia – 23**_

 _ **Natsu – 21**_

 _ **Lucy, Lisanna, levy – 20**_

 _ **Wendy is still 12! Anyone else whose ages may be adjusted I will mention in the actual story, but for the main people in Fairy Tail, it wouldn't really make sense for me to be all, "Oh, this person is 23 and that one and that one are 24 and blah, blah, blah." I just needed to let you know that I aged people and who, I didn't age them too much, but it makes more sense for the way this story is going to go.**_

 **Gajeel 1** **st** **person P.O.V**

It's been several hours since we saved Eclipse. Since old man Makarov showed up at the forest edge in his giant form. The damned old Geezer nearly had a heart attack when he saw his unconscious granddaughter. Not that I really blame the man. On the walk back, while Laxus carried Eclipse, and I carried Wendy, Laxus told us that she had been gone for eight years. The way he said it though, I could tell that she hadn't up and left voluntarily.

Now, here we are, sitting in the infirmary. Laxus on the left side of her bed, me on the right with Wendy in my lap, the small girl sleeping off her magical exhaustion. Natsu, the dingbat he is, is outside training, saying that once Eclipse wakes up they need to fight. I'm pretty sure it's the flaming douchebags way of coping.

Glancing at Laxus, I decide I need to speak. "She's a dragon slayer?" I gruffly whisper out, trying not to wake Wendy.

Laxus' quickly looks up from his sister and at me. He nods. "Yeah, not a normal one though. She was born as a traveler mage."

A what? My eyes narrow trying to figure out if I had ever heard of that magic. I haven't. "What the hell is that?"

Laxus snorts, "I'm not surprised you don't know. It's a very rare magic. While she sleeps her soul travels. It goes to different places within Earthland, it can travel to different worlds and Realms, and every once and awhile if she focuses enough she can enter dreams. The only thing is, that usually unless she's in a dream, no one can see her. Hell, for all I know she could be sitting in this room right now, watching us, as her body heals."

I can feel my eyes widen in shock. Mavis, she's quite the special woman. I can feel my dragon swell with pride as he internally gloats about how much of an amazing choice he had made with my mate. I agree though, what better of a woman to be my mate than a strong woman who can help protect our young?

Laxus lets out a chuckle, and I'm sure it's because I most likely have some dumbass shocked expression on my face.

"How'd she become a slayer?" A feral anger starts to build inside my chest as I remember the circumstances behind Laxus' slayer magic.

A sigh escapes his lips and he grips his sisters hand, "She didn't become one like I did, I'm forever thankful for that. One night, after the dragons had disappeared, she had traveled somewhere, it was after Natsu came here, she wanted to help him find his dragon. Instead she traveled and found her dragon, one that could surprisingly see her, in fact everyone in the realm that she went to could see her. She went there every night for years and the dragon trained her, and trained her well." My eyes widen as he smiles down at Eclipse, it's weird seeing him smile, truly smile. "She's a very talented slayer, Gajeel. Your dragon picked well."

Disbelief flashes across my face. How is he so calm about this? I expected a full out brawl, one that I'd have to prove myself to him. I mean he's Laxus fucking Dreyar, one of the most powerful mages here. He's also an asshole, and protective of those he holds dear. I mean shit, someone once said something asinine about Bickslows mask and Laxus tore them to shreds, zapped them so much they were in the infirmary for a month. Not to mention the whole Fantasia incident.

"Gajeel, I understand slayer bonds a lot better than most. Eclipse told me about them once she was told about them. She helped me learn about slayer instincts and bonding, and everything that I didn't know because I never had a dragon. I understand. Besides," He gives me a wicked smirk, "Better you than any of the other slayers we know."

I chuckle. He has a point. Can't imagine if she got stuck with Natsu, and Mavis forbid she mated with Cobra.

 **Eclipse 3** **rd** **person P.O.V**

She lets a musical laugh leave her lips, as she watches Laxus and Gajeel talk with each other. Laxus is spot on. She is sitting in the room watching them as they watch over her. Happiness radiates within her. She can't believe she's finally home. Finally where she's meant to be.

Eclipse glances at the Iron Dragon slayer and the largest smile she's ever held on her face appears. Gajeel. The name makes tingles spread over her skin. She's finally going to be able to see him in person.

For the last year, ever since she escaped her captivity, Eclipse had been letting her soul travel to her guild, her home. She would have visited every day the whole eight years she had been gone, but if she traveled during her captivity, she never went to places she knew she'd spend hours at, she had been too afraid of what would have happened to her physical body while her soul was absent. So, she would travel sporadically to see her dragon, and her dragon would warn her when she needed to head back to her body.

Once she escaped though, she would go to Fairytail every night, and sometimes during the day when she wasn't able to move on from her location. That's where she first saw him, Gajeel, the iron dragon slayer. She could feel a bond start to form the moment that she laid her eyes on him. Over time, the more she visited, the stronger the bond became, until finally, she felt it, the mating pull. She had never been so happy before in her life than when she felt that pull. She had found him. She had finally found her mate, and it was such a thrilling thing, that she had to move faster to get home. She had to be near him.

Even though Gajeel hadn't been aware of the forming bond, it still formed, he just couldn't feel it, and if he did, it was easily brushed off because he had yet to see her, it was the bond that was formed one way, because only Eclipse was aware of what was happening, so it was no surprise that once Gajeel had seen her the bond solidified so quickly. Usually it wouldn't have done so.

Eclipse lets her gaze fall to the sky maiden. Her heart surges with love as she looks at the soft sleeping features of Wendy's face. The poor girl completely wore herself out. Walking to be directly in front of Gajeel and the girl sleeping in his lap she kneels down, and places her hand against Wendy's cheek, against the cheek of her young.

Wendy shifts slightly under her touch. "Momma…" The young slayer mumbles, causing the older slayers in the room to glance down at her, and tears to leak from Eclipses eyes.

"I'm hear sweet one." Eclipse whispers, though no one can hear her.

She let the memories of the first time she saw Wendy flow through her mind:

 _When she felt herself become whole, Eclipse opened her eyes, she blinked once, then twice, she was not where she had expected herself to be. There was Natsu, who she had focused her mind on, but they were not inside Fairytail like she had thought they would be. Instead, as Eclipse looked around her. She noticed, Natsu, his partner Lucy, Erza and Gray, along with several familiar and unfamiliar mages. The ones that stood out the most to her were Jura and Ichiya. She recognized them from when they had come to the guild to help toss out her father, after he had hurt her brother, by shoving a slayer lacrima in his damn head._

 _Eclipse walked around the room, studying each mage intently. There was a serious aura around Jura and Erza. Something was wrong and it made Eclipse very anxious. So she waited and watched, taking in the words that everyone spoke, trying to piece everything together. So far all she gathered was that the ice mage that came with Jura was Gray's rival and his name was Lyon. He was a rather handsome mage in Eclipse's opinion. Not that he really had anything on the Iron Dragon slayer that she couldn't stop thinking about._

 _She also noticed a small rivalry going on between a woman who spoke highly of love named Sherry and Lucy, the always cheerful celestial spirit mage that was always around her old friend Natsu. It was very amusing; the blonde mage was quite quickly become a true Fairytail mage. It warmed Eclipse's heart knowing that her old friend would be surrounded by the positivity and kindness that the blonde constantly projected._

 _As she watched everyone, her nerves on edge, she let her senses wonder. Taking a deep breath, she smelt something that she hadn't before, it was coming towards the building the mages occupied, and it was heading there fast. Eclipse focused her sight on the building doors, and took another breath, it smelt like air, mint, and dragon. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously as she continued to watch the doors for the dragon slayer about to break through._

 _Once the door opened Eclipse eyes focused harder as the light entering the building obscured her vision of the form that had just walked in, at least until the door slammed shut, and a small child with beautiful, long, blue hair, started running towards the mages that were staring in shock at the girl._

" _Sorry I'm late!" She shouts, as a white exceed scolds the child for apologizing._

 _Eclipse grinned widely as her heart burst with joy, and a thick bond rapidly started to form with the small dragon slayer. Before any of the other mages could say anything the girl tripped._

 _Eclipse let out a squeal as her heart caught in her throat, and she rushed to the girls side, completely forgetting that no one can see, hear, or feel her. She let out a frustrated groan when the exceed helped the girl up, instead of Eclipse being able to. She couldn't believe it, but she was jealous of the cat._

 _Eclipse decided to stick around, and even though her original plan had been to keep her eye on Natsu; she decided to stick close the small dragon slayer, whose name she found out was Wendy, and she is the Sky dragon slayer from Cait Shelter. She really was just the cutest damn thing. Eclipse could feel an extreme protectiveness towards Wendy, she wasn't sure what bond was forming quite yet, but she had a good idea. Eclipse would bet all the Jewels of Fairytail that Wendy…that the young dragon slayer was going to be her young._

Looking at the sleeping sky maiden, Eclipse tried to push the old feelings from the mission against Oracion Seis away. She doesn't want to remember the helplessness she had felt while poor Wendy had been taken by Brain, and how much it hurt the girl to realize Jellal wasn't how she remembered him. She had wanted so badly at the time to be able to hold and comfort her, but of course she hadn't been able too. Now…now she'd be able to.

With a sigh, Eclipse stood back up and gazed over to Laxus, her eyes narrowed slightly, "You and I will have to have a long talk soon, Laxus-nii." She mutters even though he can't hear her.

She had been at Fairytail, watching the festivities for Fantasia, when Laxus made his move to take over the guild. It had broken her heart. She can remember following him to the cathedral, he had nearly lost his mind, shouting about how he needed to be stronger, the guild needed to be stronger and how had they been stronger, he never would have lost his sister. It was gut-wrenching, the amount of pain he had been feeling, and it had been all her fault. She couldn't stop feeling guilty over Laxus' reasoning's for the attempted hostile takeover. Even though a part of her knows that Laxus would never want her to feel like it was her fault, she still couldn't help it.

With a quick glance down at her body, she nods. "It's time to wake up now I think." She closes her eyes and lets her magic falter, snapping herself quickly back into her body.

 **Gajeel 1** **st** **P.O.V**

Laxus and I drifted back to silence, neither of us really the talkative bunch, but both of us knowing we'd have to end up socializing at least for the sake of Eclipse. Still can't fucking believe I have a mate. I had felt the bond slowly starting to create itself over the last year, I was never sure who it had been to though. I thought it was the shrimp, which is why I hung around her so much, the bond never got stronger though. I had to have, in some way, been able to sense when Eclipse let her soul travel to the guild or else it wouldn't have done that. There wouldn't have been any formation on my part.

Looking down at Wendy, I can't believe how much things have changed over the year I've been at Fairy Tail. A lot of it is because of Wendy. For fucks sake I almost tore the flaming prick and ice princess apart when She came back injured on a mission they took her on. A mission I didn't know she was going on! We had to develop a set of rules after that. Wendy had told me she had to go on the mission because of how expensive it was to live in Fairy Hills, I made her pack her bags right then and there and she moved in with me, she's been living with me for 6 months now. I've gotten softer because of it. I feel like a damn father, and as much as it freaks me the fuck out, Wendy is my young and I would do anything to keep her safe. We even have rules! Actual rules that a parent would give their kid! She isn't to go on missions without me, unless she has my permission, and I need to know who she's going with, and even though she has Carla, Pantherlily has to go with her because he has a battle form.

She had been so excited about actually having rules, said it made her feel like we were a real family. And damn it if that didn't melt my fuckin heart, not that anyone needs to know that.

I let a small smile slip out as Wendy curls up tighter against me. She had bonded with Eclipse the same way she bonded to me, it's amazing really. The fact that my young is Eclipse's as well.

I feel a shutter go through my body at one very specific realization. Had she seen what I did to her family? We may have formed a bond but that doesn't mean she won't try to fight it. Panic sets in and my breathing starts to become harsh I can feel my chest tighten.

I look up and see that Laxus is looking at me with wide eyes, the panic must be clearly written on my face. I try to calm down but I can't. What the hell am I supposed to do? I can't change what I did! If she saw….if she new, there's no way she'd ever want to be my mate, she wouldn't complete the bond and we'd both be alone for the rest of our lives. It'd be so hard for Wendy, like having divorced parents. I can feel bile starts to rise in my throat, but I try to swallow it down.

What have I done? I'm clutching onto Wendy harder. I don't even realize that she had woken up, or that Laxus is now standing in front of me. His hands gripping my shoulders as he tries to get me to focus on him, or on Wendy or on anything else, but I can't.

I hear a rustling sound, but I ignore it. I can't seem to think of anything other than I have lost my mate as soon as I found her and made life on Wendy so unbearably hard because of it, because of my shitty actions. No wonder Ryo's ran from me, I had completely ignored him, I had been so damn hard on him, I had ignored what my dragon was trying to tell me. I fucked Ryo's up, and I fucked Wendy up, all because of how much of an asshole I had been then.

Before I can speak, I feel a set of arms wrap around me from behind, my muscles immediately relax as a face nuzzles against my neck and the scent of coffee and cherries permeate my nose.

"Calm yourself, Gajeel." My eyes widen and my breathing regulates, as the most beautiful voice I have ever heard enters my ears.

I take deep breathes, listening to the woman, before I turn my head, my body being held in place by Wendy as she clutches onto me, I can smell her tears and it makes me feel like even more of an asshole.

As my head turns, I see her, her beautiful blue eyes and an earth shattering smile on her plump lips. My heart catches and I give Wendy a small squeeze letting her know I'm alright.

"You're okay, Gajeel." Eclipse whispers before pressing her lips softly against my temple. I close my eyes and feel my entire body relax. I'm okay. Everything is okay.


End file.
